in their Misfortunes and thereby to demonstrate that my poor distressed Mother in the greatest and most generall defection as this seemes to be that ever vvas among any King of Englands subjects vvill never vvant some to bear testimony to the truth of her Doctrine vvho according to the Exemple of Christ and his Apostles doth maintaine the practice of Allegiance and intire submission and subjection to all Lavvfull supreme povvers deputed by God as his Vice-Gerents to Governe the vvorld Hovv great a contradiction hereof soever the last years transactions in England have proved vvhich hath given the greatest vvound that vvas ever yet given to our Church the Doctrine of Non-resistance Remaines on such authentick Record in the Church of Englands Printed Homilies against Rebellion vvhich I have in some sort Epitomised in the conclusion of my discourse that your Majesty as vvell as the King vvil I hope bee pleased to continue your Charitie to our Ecclesiastick Constitution vvith liberty to its members to Exercise their Religion and thinke no vvorse of the Parent for the disobedience of the Children but render that Iustice to the Church of England vvhich is due to all Churches to vvit to bee Iudged by her Doctrine Discipline and Order vvhich I am sure never did carry a long vvith them any Rebellion and not by the practice or Conversation of its Members VVhereby if the vvhole Christian Church vvas to bee Iudged it vvould in many things appeare more vile then some parts of the vvorld overrun vvith Turcisme and Paganisme Offerring to God my most fervent devotions for the preservation and Restoration of the King the Life and Happinesse of the Prince and out of Gratitude to Heaven in a most particular manner for your Majesty vvho have been Instrumentall to the Greatest blessing vvhich hath been these many yeares conferred on the Kingdom in bearing and bringing forth an Heir male for the support of the Monarchy I do vvith all humility implore yours together vvith his Majesties Patronage as vvell as beg Pardon for this Presumption and vvith the most profound respect imaginable subscribe my selfe YOUR MAJESTIES MOST DUTIFULL EVER FAITHFUL SERVANT SUBIECT DENIS GRANVILLE A DISCOURSE CONCERNINC CHRISTIAN RESIGNATION AND RESOLUTION WITH SOME LOYALL REFLECTIONS ON THE DUTCH INVASION Preached in the Cathedrall Church of Durham on the 1. Wensday in Advent the sunday follovving being the 5. 9. of December 1688. By DENIS GRANVILLE D. D. Deane Archdeacon of Durham novv in Exile Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majestie TWO SERMONS CONCERNING CHRISTIAN RESOLUTION And Humble Submission to the VVill of God in Tymes of Distresse on the Holy Patriarch Iacobs Farevvell VVords to his sons at Parting IF I BE BEREAVED OF MY CHILDREN I AM BEREAVED Gen. ch 43. v. 14. FOR the better Understanding of the Story it Will be requisire to reade the precedent Words from the 11. verse to the text v. 11. If it must be so novv do this take of the best fruites of the Land in your Vessels and carry dovvn the man a Present a little balme a little honey spices mirrhe nuts almonds v. 12. And take double money in your hands and the money vvhich vvas brought againe in the mouth of your sacks carry it againe in your hand peradventure it vvas an Oversight v. 13. Take also your Brother and arise go againe unto the man. v. 14. And God Almicghty give you Mercy before the Man that hee may send avvay your other Brother Benjamin IF I BE BEREAVED OF MY CHILDREN I AM BEREAVED THe Approaching Holy Feast of CHRISTS NATIVITY or Coming in the Flesh doth Every yeare require a Solemne preparatory time of Devotion And that it may not want such due respect the Church takes care in its preceding Exercises Every Sunday service during ADVENT hath an Eye to that pious End purpose In pursuance whereof wee have in this Cathedrall revived an Antient Religious Custome Two dayes of every week throughout this season to wit wednesdays fridays are Sermon Dayes dedicated to Prayer Fasting to accompany those Exercises of Repentance which are allwayes thought a necessary part of out Preparation But Gods Impending Iudgements for our sins which at this time threaten Bloud Confusion do summon us to add to those exercises and by some voluntary impositions of Dayly Devotion Mortification to turne this Advent in to A little Lent giving up our selves wholy to the Exercise of Piety Prayer beseeching God that hee will not Enter into Iudgement vvith us and for our provocations give us up as a Prey unto our Enimies making us a scorne derision to them that are round about us It is lawfull nay Religious by Devout Prayer to Use Violence to the Kingdom of Heaven and if wee did in this our Distresse betake our selves to so sure a Refuge making use of the Holy Weapons of the Antient Christians PRAYERS TEARES crowding up to the horns of the Altar rendring all our Devotions more prevalent by the vveekly Reception of the Lords Supper wee that meet in Gods House if we came with that spirit Which wee ought might do our King and Country better service than those who fight for him in the Field What hath been said I premise in regard to the present Season of ADVENT and the Ensuing Feastivall of CHRISTMAS by reason my text doth not respect Either of them so particularly as the Storme Danger Which is imminent doth loudly call for the Holy Resolution asvvell as submission of Pious Jacob. And having so done I shall before I enter on the Words Move you to Pray according to the Canonicall Exhortation of the Church Yee shall pray for the Holy Catholieck Church of Christ that is for the vvhole Congregation of Christian people dispersed throughout the VVorld more espetially for the Churches of Great Britaine Ireland And here in I am to require you more particularly to pray for our Dread Soudraigne Lord Iames by the Grace of God King of England c. Yee shall likevvise pray for our Gratious Queen Mary Katherine the Queen dovvager his Royall Higness the Prince of VVales c. Concluding your Devotions allwayes with the Lords Prayer Our Father c. THe PATRIARCHS were now returned from their first journey Sermon I into Egypt and as they little thought from full-filling their Brother Iosephs dreame They had Bovved to him whom they thought they had Robbed of all Honour and been Fed by him whom they once conspired to Starve So inviolable is Gods purpose in things to man impossible OLD JACOB here at first with greatest Joy wellcomes home his weary sons but excesse of gladnesse is commonly attended on with Greife the end of Ioy is Mourning Whiles hee is yet congratulating their good successe in their Journey the sad newes of Simeons Imprisonment silenceth his mirth Which Greife too is attended on by a greater the necessity of his Deare Benjamins going into Egypt Crosses in
more 〈◊〉 Regard would had been had to the Penning Composure But since I am reduced to such hard circumstances whereto in conformity to my own Doctrine I Heartily submit that the ensuing Discourses how sleight soever little worth in themselves are abundantly sufficient to demonstrate that both my Religion Loyaâ—â—y are not of the New Cutt but of the old Royall stamp carry whith them I trust the true Touch of the Tower Providence invites me to exposes them to publick view being ambitious of nothing in â—â—e world more than to approve my selfe in this Day of Rebuke to my Soveraigne his rigth Loyal subjects for one who thinks that hee obliged to be as Faithfull to a Roman-Catholick as a Protestant Prince as true to him in Adversity as Prosperity As far any Censures of vanity arising from my Title-Page as if I did there set forth my selfe à Patterne of humility Loyalty they ought not to sway with me so farre as to stop me in my Endeavours to be so or to perswade others to become such since thereto Heaven at this tyme loudly summons all the Nation This I can truly say without Pride or Boasting that I have labour'd to practise what I have preached to others that I was never more than at this very instant aspiring towards those Excellent but rare vertues mentionned in the following discourses which I commend to Gods Blessing the Candid Readers Charity desiring all persons in England who have labour'd either by Kind Invitations or Threats of deprivation to prevaile with mâ— to returne submit to the new Government to receive this as my finall Ansver TO WIT If I be DEPRIVED I am DEPRIVED or to approach a little neaver to the Phrase of Good Father Jacob. IF I BE BEREAVED OF MY PREFERMENT I AM BEREAVED D. G. From my study in Roüen Nov. 15. 1689. ADVERTISEMENT THE Authour having been necessitated for the discharge of his Conscience and his own Justification hastily to print these pieces as before mention'd in a Forreign Country where the Printer did not understand the language and was very little acquainted with the character all persons must understand that it was not possible to avoid a multitude of faults in the Orthography Pointing as wel as sundry rules observed by Printers in England thoâ— possibly upon perusall they wil finde the Errours so inconsiderable little hindring the sense that they will rather wonder as doth the Authour how the Printer should all things considered so well succeed in his Undertaking ERRATA SERMONS PAGE 1. Line 2. requisire for requisite p. 2. l. 14. out for our p. 4. l. 5. 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Cerent for Count. p. 22. l. 29. vvhich among for among p. 23. l. 12. hardhearted Ievves for hard-hearted Ievves LETTERS IN the Advertisement Page 1. Line 26. 〈◊〉 together for together p. 2. l. 27. on all times for in all places p. 3. l. 2. n 88. for in 88. l. 3. it for is The Date to wit Rouen Nov. 27. 1689. wanting in the conclusion TO THE EARLE OF BATHE PAGE 3. l. 2. 700 for 700 lib. ster p. 4. l. 15. thd for the. l. 16. entere for entred p. 5. l. 34. right So for right so p. 6. l. â—4 vvith in for vvith his Grace in l. 32. hâ—vve for have p. 10. l. â—4 40. for 40. lib. ster l. 35. 40. for 40. sh. p. 29. l. 5. gs for it TO THE BISHOP OF DURHAM c. PAGE 2. l. 18. vvhith for vvith p. 6. l. 16. vvas for vvere p. 14. l. 16. tovvn had for tovvn that had l. 29. so for to p. 31. l. 3. risdiction for Iurisdiction p. 43. l. 1. forgoing pag. 38. for foregoing letter pag. 38. l. 12. bey for they p. 46. marginal note l. 3. Dearn's for Dean's l. 18. the for he The smaller faults vvith may occur they Reader may easily correct in reading FINIS TO THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND MAY IT PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY ALLMIGHTY GOD having enabled mee by his grace to resist those temptations which have overcome the greatest number of the members of my own Church and Country and being now incapacitated here a bread to render my Soveraigne and your Majesty better service than to owne your Righteous Cause I think my selfe obliged to give the world a more than ordinary Testimony of my sincere Loyalty and Resolution in all times and Changes to adhere unalterably to the Crowne Having therefore allready sacrificed my Revenue by quitting the Nation rather than submit to the Vsurpation and exposed my selfe to Censure and Obloquy in that part of England wherein I have Lived by Refusing to Head or Ioine with those my dependants there Ecclesiasticall and Secular who have departed from their Allegiance I know of no better and more Convincing Instance yet remaining to bee given by mee of my stedfastness to stick to and serve the Royall familie than to proclame that I dare speake truth here a broad from the Presse as well as from the Pulpit at home tho every one must fore-know that such an honest Boldness will unavoidably render mee uncapable of the favour and good opinion of all those persons in the Nation High and Low Spirituall and Temporal who have Shipwrackt their Faith and Consciences by ceasing to yeild after often swearing Allegiance and Fidelity to their Soveraigne And it is easy to fore-see that the Printing these and some other Papers at this time in mine ovvn name will thus render mee obnoxious as I am Contented to bee to all those Builders who imploy themselves in Erecting a New Monarchy and Church in England But the Aspersions of them that forsake their Religion as far as they desert their Lavvfull Liege Lord as I hope the follovving sheets will evidence vvill bee no intolerable Load to mee who desire no greater Honour and satisfaction than to share with my King Queen and hope-full young Prince
to infuse into all persons committed to his Charge and also that he is not asham'd to proclaim to all the world in spight of the Censures he mett with all that he did doth hold the following Queres in the affirmative being of opinion that to hold them otherwise is to place some of the King's Supremacy in the People An ADDRESS vvhich the Dean of Durham sent to his Majestie speedily after the Prince of Orange landed upon his Brethen their Refusall to joyne vvith him because the Superiour Clergy had not Addtess'd before to shevv his Abhorrance of that Unnaturall Invasion vvhich Address vvas intercepted by the Lord Lumley other Lords vvho had seiz'd on York as mention'd page 3. To the King 's most excellent Majestie The Hearty Humble Addresse of your Majestie 's ever loyall and faithfull Subject Servant the Dean of Durham MAY it please your Sacred Majestie In time of an Invasion as in a common Inundation or Calamity by fire VVhen every body is bound in duty to preserve the House Citty or Country vvhereof he is a member vvithout usuall ceremony or compliment to Superior or Equalls I do judge it an Indispensable Duty of every Faithfull right Loyall subject to hasten to assist his Soveraigne vvith his purse as vvell as his prayers to the utmost of his povver ability therefore not daring to stay till all my Betters have given me example in Addressing before me or all my inferiour Brethren have agreed on a forme to Address vvith me I do heartily offer to your Majesty all that I have to spare for your present service thinking nothing mine ovvn in such a time of danger but vvhat is sufficient to suffice nature Assuring you vvithall that I do not only from the very bottome of my soule Abhorre Detest this Treacherous Vnnaturall Invasion of the Prince of Orange together vvith all the other VVicked Rebellious Bloody Designes of his Adherents vvhether Enemies at home or abroad and more particularly of those among us vvho have lately revolted from their Allegiance but do vvith great Indignation Renounce all manner of Violence Force Contempt of Authority offer'd to your Sacred Person or Government either by the Rabble the very dregâ—â— of the Mobile in the Citty as vvell as Rebells in the Field Conceiving gs a great sin to use any Compulsive Arguments to Constreine or Terrify Gods Vice-gerent into a Compliance vvith the VVill Desires of his subjects be they never so much for the good of himselfe Church or Kingdome having learnt in the Communion of my Mother the Church of England vvherein I am firmly resolv'd to live dye other principles than to teach my Supreme or any of my Superiours vvhat He or They ought to do vvith a svvord in my hand or compell a Soveraigne Monarch vvhether he vvill or no to do his duty gratifie his people sooner than he is inclin'd or his ovvn Necessity vvhereof he is the best Iudge vvill permit Satisfying myselfe most thank fully vvith the repeated assurance vvhich yeur Majesty hath already given of our Religion Lavvs Libertiesâ— together vvith all your past present Gratious Condescentions to remove the Fears Iealousie of your people Resolving to stay your leasure for the Calling of a Parliament all other means methods vvhich are in your Majesties ovvn choice for the securing your ovvn Royall Person or Establishment of your Government in Church or State. Nov. 27. 88. DENIS GRAINVILLE Dean of Durham QVERES Put by the Dean of Durham to some Young Clergy men to ansvver privately in his ovvn Study near about the time his Majesty sent forth an order to read his Declaration for liberty of Conscience vvhich being treacherously stolen avvay or falsely transcrib'd upon the interception of a letter to a Friend vvere dispers'd canvass'd up and dovvn the Coffee-Houses of London other parts of England as mention'd pag. 7. and are for that reason printed 1. Whether a Subject is not bound to comply vvith his Prince in every Command or Reasonable Intimation of his pleasure vvherein he is not in Conscience bound to the contrary 2 Whether a Subject is not bound to comply vvith his Prince in some things vvhich he conceives not only inexpedient but such as may tend to the Prejudice of the Flourishing condition of the Church provided the Being of the Church be secure if a lavvfull Prince of a Different Religion doth absolutely command them vvill not be satisfied vvithout Compliance vvith such Command 3. Whether the Church of England vvas not an establish'd Church before the enacting of the Penall Lavvs If so vvhether it is not better to comply vvith his Majesty in consenting to take avvay those Penall Lavvs vvhich his Majesty desires to be abrogated than hazard the Being of our Church by provoking the King on vvhose Favour vvee depend FINIS TO THE BISHOP OF DURHAM MY LORD So Suddain and violent a separation betwixt a Bishop and his Dean as hath been occasion'd betwixt your Lordship my selfe by our late stupendiouâ— Revolution is a matter of too great importance to be pass'd over in silence by one who was driven from his station by the impetuosity of that dreadfull storm which lately fell on and overthrew our Church and State. I conceive it therefore my duty to informe your Lordship not only where but what I am in this age of mutability which hath produced I think almost all kind of changes among men of every Quality Degree Calling but that which Doctour B. speaks of in his letters concerning his travells into Italy I mean the change of sex I need not my Lord give You any particular account of my behaviour or usage in England after your Lordship was call'd up to London about Michaelmass last or of the manner of my Escape since your Lordship was certified by letters from my selfe in the months of Oct and Nov last of most matters of moment relating to the Church and County of Durham tho I had the honour satisfaction of receiving an answer to few of them and may come to the knowledge of other things by the relation of my deportment which I have publish'd in my printed letter to my Brother the Earle of Bathe whereto I crave leave to refert your Lordship all who are inquisitive after me I shall only embrace this occasion solemnely publickly to assure your Lordship in generall that I did faithfully and with as much punctuallity as I was able discharge those Trusts which were committed to me in every one of the places and offices which I had the honour to beare under your Lordship maintain'd my Poste in your Absence not withstanding mighty discouragements till it was not possible for me any longer to strive against that Torrent which had hurried all matters in that other parts of the Nation into great disorder confusion When I saw there was no possible means left for me but to
than I have been guilty of towards my Soveraigne I reply that the Doctrine of Non-resistance which we have alwayes till of late been fond of set forth at large in our Church-Homilies doth justify my behaviour whereof any one may be soon convinced that will be pleas'd to take the paines which I have lately done of seriously perusing studying analizing the Homilies published by authority Concerning Obedience against vvillfull Disobedience or Rebellion From whence no more than from the Holy scripture can I learn any Medium betwixt Resistance Compliance He that doth not comply with Express Positive commands of his Soveraigne when he beleives those commands lawfull doth in some sort resist Him that saying of our Lord in this case being certainly applicable He that is not for me is against me But these like censures will not my Lord in any great measure afflict me It hath been my fate to be from my Youth inur'd to such greater exercises of patience Indeed I might be induced rather to suspect my Loyalty and Fidelity to my Soveraigne If I should now escape Scot-free not be pelted at by those who out of the same mouth can blow hot cold obey a lawfull Prince obey an Usurper whose unjustifyable proceedings blessed be God my soule doth detest abhorr being founded in that Laodicean temper loathsome to God Goodmen which I have labour'd ever since I have born any publick office in Church or State as far as it was possible for me to oppose Your Lordship I am sure which is my comfort will be none of those who shall load me with reproaches for my dutifull Complyances whith his Majesty since your example which did out run others as well as your advice did powerfully invite me thereto And since your Lordship hath been so kind as to attest with your mouth to his Majesty that I was never backward to concurr with You in any thing which was for the King's service Wherefore I shall spend no more ink to disturb your Lordship with inlarging on so unnecessary a Topick But I shall take care to strive by God's grace to make good the Character which your Lordship was pleas'd to give of me last year to the King you was not my Lord any wayes deceiv'd in your attestation neither shall his Majesty I trust in God in his expectations from me The remaining paper then my Lord will be more significantly imploy'd in laying before your Lordship the World the Reasons why I have not govern'd my selfe by your Lordships example since October last as I did before cannot be prevail'd on now to comply with the People's as I did with the Lord 's Annointed my Leige Dread Soveraigne It was I know sadly bewailable for persons in such publick stations so nearly related as the Bishop Dean of Dutham to draw two wayes as we did I must confess after your Lordship was pleas'd to present a paper of Advice to his Majesty to comply with the demands of the Multitude And it was the more to be lamented that such division should happen in a juncture of affairs Concussion of the Church State that requir'd the Uniting of all persons in every body Ecclesiastick Civil all which strength was little enough to uphold our Soveraign Lord's Crown Dignity which we both were stricktly by our repeated oathes and possibly more than all others by particular obligations having receiv'd our preferments by his favour ingag'd to maintaine which were more dangerously than ever struck at by Enemies at home abroad I was astonish'd my Lord at so suddaine unexpected a change was out of respect to your Lordship one of the last that in the Citty Church of Durham gave credit to the reports wherein your honour was concern'd which busied for a while the mouth of almost every person in the County That that very method which we were affraid nay well assur'd of before parting was likely to destroy our present Government Governours things portending as badly as in forty one should so immediately according to your own expression become the only most assur'd means of the Preservation of the Kings person establishment of his Government in Church and State gave me occasion beyond all measure to admire And what should move your Lordship of all men in the Nation in an unusuall way to advise his Majesty so to do is not yet discover'd by me thô it often imployes my thoughts This change of Measures in your Lordship my Diocesan whose Counsell Example and assistance I did more than ever need and expect at such a desperate Crisis did wonderfully weaken mee in the discharge of all Duties incumbent on mee either as a Church-man or Justice of the Peace and did put mee under an unavoidable necessity of abating in my zeale to attempt sundry things and ingage in severall Designs which could not be prosecuted much less accomplish'd without the concurrence of my Bishop and Lord Lieutenant This did likewise incapacitate me to censure or so much as curb those insolent Young Clergy-men who before your Departure were arriv'd to such a pitch of blodness as to expose by undecent insinuations in the Congregation not only their Dean but Bishop for Obedience to the King. And which impotency of mine was the very Sunday after made conspicuous by an other indiscreet Sermon preach'd in the Cathedrall pulpit which I was forc'd to pass by without so much as admonition only denying the Preacher the customary respects of an invitation to my table for fear of a second affront Since instead of assistance from those who were sworne to give me that much more I met with reproaches was told in the publick discharge of the Deans office that I vvas vvell enough Serv'd in that my Bishop had left me in the Lurch I had no small difficulty to bear up against repell those Arguments which were brought the last year out of the other Province from the example of great venerable Prelates which my intirely devoted heart to honour and obey my King would not permit me to immitate tho modesty would not allow me openly to condemn But when those who labour'd to shake me off from my foundation of firm Loyalty to betray my Innocence by perswading me to enter into the Herd discernd mee void of my last support depriv'd of the example of my own Bishop Father in God they attackt me your Lordship my imagine with too great strength and rudeness for a single Dean without Countenance of Superiour or Concurrence of Inferiour Brethren any longer to withstand or oppose with any considerable effect Tho God Almighty prais'd be his holy Name endow'd me in that day of Triall with so much courage as to attempt to do it in such manner as may hereafter prove to Edification never changing my Note nor Measures when all began to dance after an outlandish Pipe as long as I stay'd
vvich hee feared Heb. 5. 7. Our Blessed Lords Practice is the best warrant for ours hee himselfe being the Architype of all righteousnesse whose life ought to bee the Canon Rule of his Disciples These two Ioined in CHRIST JESUS our Grand Exemplar who is the VVay the Truth and the Life serve as tvvo stars to direct his followers unto him Feare stirres us up to seek all possible meanes for the prevention of Evills Faith keeps us from dispaire Feare is linked with the beginning of vvisdom without which your best actions are but as thâ—se Apples of Sodome which being toucht vanish into smoake or as Trees without fruit or shells without kernell As an ignorant Carelesse Marriner without his Compas wee should be driven upon all the shoales and rocks of temptation were not this feare placed in our Hearts as a watchman to forewarne our drowsy soules of approaching danger And as Gideon on Zeba and Salmunna Iudg. 3. 11. Sathan would surprise us unawares and rob us of our very Hearts Consciences while wee sleep in security But where the Heart is well fraught with feare there is no roome for Sathan and his traine It quickly espies prevents his most cunning Plotts putting to flight those armies of temptations with which hee useth to beseige mans wounded Conscience The holy Psalmist doth well informe us of the Povver and Force of Feare when hee tells us that it fights with Angells strength Ps 34. 7. The Angell of the Lord saith David standeth round about them that feare him delivereth them So that wee may here without crime presume to crosse our Saviours speech in another Case of servile feare understand mee of an holy feare O men of little faith vvhy are yee not afraid VVhensoever the Grace of God shall begin to increase in thee Feare VVhen it shall depart from thee Feare And vvhen it shall returne to thee Feare Saith S. Bernard When thou first feelest Gods holy Spirit to move within thee feare thine ovvn unvvor thinesse that thou receive it not in vain A Gift not used at all or not well imployed is a dishonour to the Donour When thou feelest any decay or suspension of the Operation of Grace within thee feare Gods displeasure who for some Cause or other suffers thee thus to fall But most of all must thou feare when Gods Grace is revived vvithin thee for the relapse is worse than the former disease Therefore thy Feare must increase with thy danger least being made cleane thou shouldst sin againe and a vvorse thing happen unto thee In adversity let us humbly acknowledge with Iob the punishment of God is fearefull In prosperity with David there is mercy vvith God that hee may be feared In all estates let his Essentiall presence beget an awfull Feare and Reverence in all our Actions since there is nothing more fearefull in the Saints and Servants of God than not to feare Jer. 32. 40. However scruple not hence yee sincere tho imperfect Christians â—ver subject sometimes to despondency the certainty of your Salvation An holy feare doth not make us more scrupulous but more certain saith S. Bernard in his 15 Sermon upon the Psalmes For this Feare as Hope is the fruit of an holy Faith and S. Paul joynes it with Faith. Rom. 11. 20. as an Antidote to a high Mind thou standest by faith be not high-minded but feare and indecd is the ground of our assurance of Salvation which wee cannot have but by faith I say by faith not as if that were not certaine but to exclude that certainty of Evidence sense which requires an absolute assent both in respect of the truth of the thing of our knowledge because it is so because wee can demonstrate it to be so As when wee say 4. is more than 2. the whole is greater than part perfect knowledge of sense Experience absolutely conclude it most certain The certainty of our Salvation is a faithfull cleaving to the sure promises of CHRIST JESUS Tho this in respect of it selfe be more absolute than that of sense as faith is more certain than any science yet mans mind not throughly purged from the foggy Mists of Original pollution cannot clearly determine CHRIST indeed hath broken downe the Partition VVall between God his people yet hath hee set the Register of his Elect beyond the ken of any mortall eye Neither can wee assure our selves any otherwise of our Salvation than by trusting in him by applying particularly what hee that cannot lye hath spoken in Generall VVhosoever believeth in mee shall be saved And this is in no man so perfect but that the best may still pray adjuva me Domine Lord helpe my unbeleife Hee that doth not thus feare hath no faith and then no certainty As the Spirit of God vvitnesseth vvee are the sons of God so Feare testifieth wee have the Spirit No man more surely relyes on his Saviour than hee that most feares to Offend him so is it no paradox at the same time to tremble and rejoyce in the Lord. The frailty of our nature the subtilty of the Divell conspire for our Ruine here is good Cause to fear But JESUS CHRIST is our Castle Defence here is greater Cause to rejoyce A man on the top of an high tower looking downe considering the danger of a fall trembles to thinke thereon but looking back on his feet seeing himselfe environned on every side with battlements rejoyceth that hee is so secure of the danger So the most steddy beleiver tho hee know that under the protection of the Allmighty hee cannot miscarry yet hee sometimes trembles to reflect on the deplorable Estate of Falling away Allbeit his principle bee true the Word of God cannot faile in any tittle VVhosoever beleiveth shall bee saved yet is hee Iealous of misapplying it to himselfe Tho hee thinketh hee standeth hee must take heed least hee fall For it is the Condition of Grace Faith as of Nature still to desire encrease perfection which necessatily requires earnest prayer and this implies a sollicitous Feare So then wee may say of a Christian as scipio sometimes spake of Rome it was more secure when it stood in awe of Cartbage The Church was never freer from Herisies than in the time of Persecution and the End of Persecution was the beginning of Herisy Wee are most certain when wee are most tempted When Sathan desires to vvinnovv S. Peter as vvheat then Christs prayer assures him of Salvation Christs Intercessions are more prevalent than any temptation and unlesse wee render them ineffectuall by impenitency they are never in vain Neverthelesse his Prayer may not hinder ours nor his Allsufficiency exclude our labours Wee must pray to him hee will pray for us Let us fullfill his Commandements hee will fullfill his Promises If wee Love him let us feare to offend him If wee have Confidence of our Election in him then let us use all diligence to make
the last requires your Humility upon the same grounds of Faith Feare whereto if you do add since Heaven frowns upon this Land a profound Humiliation you will do more than God Expects at your hands Not to feare Affliction becomes a Rigid Sceptick or senseless Stoick not an affectionate Iacob or tender hearted Ioseph On the other side to be utterly cast downe in the Bed of Sorrow fits not an Abraham but a Cain Both Good Iust is God saith holy David Good Gratious to teach patient sinners in the vvay but Just allso to punish those vvhich run on still in their iniquity Happy then are those troubled spirits let mee minde them where this Constellation appeares where Feare acknowledgeth God a Iust Iudge and Faith beleiveth him a loving Father Adversity indeed is the Discipline of Gods house under which hee brings up his Children through feare of which hee bridles their inordinate affections by disenabling and mortifying them workes an unwillingnesse to offend For Example The Rich man spoiled of his Riches sees their uncertainty and so flies back from his eager pursuit of them to him that gave them The Vain-glorious ambitious man degraded from Court to Cottage and after all his Industry endeavour to Rise brought Low made an Object of Contempt sees plainly there is no Confidence in any humane Helpe no not in the best and most Potent of Princes nor in any child of man according to Davids observation teaching him to trust only on the King of Kings The Good Father here in the text bereaved of his Children confesses they were but a broken staffe and when hee could not longer continue a Father contented himselfe fully that hee was the Child of God. So prone is our Nature to all Voluptiousnesse and uncleanesse and so rebellious are our affections against any good that nothing but this Wormewood can weane us from sucking the dregs of worldly sensuall Pleasures or stop us in this Earthly pilgrimage from running headlong to destruction Hee is certainly miserable vvho never felt any misery if wee beleive Seneca and it is good Divinity in the Heathens own sense Hos itaque quos probat Deus quos amat indurar recognoscit exercet quibus indulgere quibus parcere videtur molles venturis malis servat Very neare that of the Apostle Heb. 12. 6. The Lord Chasteneth vvhom hee loveth and scourgeth every son vvhom hee receiveth but reserveth whom hee seemeth to passe by Quibus parcere videtur hee doth but seeme to passe them over for greater punishment God lesse regards a thousand beames in the Eyes of the wicked than one Mote in the eyes of his people I vvill not punish saith God by his prophet your daughters vvhen they Commit vvheredom nor your sons vvhen they commit adultery Hos. 4. 14. But you vvhom I have chosen of all the earth vvill I punish for all your Iniquity Amos. 3. 1. Thus Gods People in this life are as it were travelling from Egypt to Canaan Tho our deadly Pharaoh the Enemy of mankind be over whelmed in the red sea of Christs bloud that hee cannot throw us downe yet can hee east Rubs in our way to stumble us Some Amerites there will bee stil to Oppose us The Canaanite is yet in the Land. The Flesh the VVorld erect Golden Calves suggest Murmurings Lusts whereby wee provoke God to wrath and force him by affliction to Chastise and correct us into the right way Our Journey is as theirs numb 21. 22. from Bamoth to Pisgath from the vale of humility Death to the plain hill of Happinesse Everlasting life So S. Ierôme applies these words in his Epistle ad Fabiolam And this before wee proceed may also afford a proffitable lesson for this Worlds Darling Hath any ascended this hill of Happiness Let him not cast his scornfull eye on his brother in the vale but look rather towards Ieshimon the wildernesse ouer against him pitty them which are in it and praise God for his better Mansion Let him not forget that the Hill whereon hee stands is Pisgah which S. Ierôme Interprets dolatus Smooth as if it were plained very slippery with an Easy descent from which the least slip may cast him downe thither whence with great labour hee got up making him feele by experience that a Relapse is a double Fall. But this by the way Wee may take one type more of the Sts. afflictions from the Israelites There was never any honey observes the same Father in their Sacrifices neither were the lights vvhich burnt in their Tabernacles of wax which is sweet but of Oyle sharp and bitter As if they ought not enjoy the least Embleme or Shaddovv of Pleasure But however it was withthem certaine itis to us Christians that our Ioy feli city is not in the Creature here belovv but in those things vhich are above vvhere Cbrist sitts on the right hand of God vvhereon vvee ought to set our Affections vvhich are the only object of a right mortified and faithfull Christians Search Our Light as vvell as Life is in Heaven Where our Conversation allso ought to bee and vvhere vve shall by the assistance of the Allmighty and a truely sanctified use of Gods Visitations Which are a christians best directions in the Conclusion Arrive to our Everlasting comfort if vve are not vvanting to our selves CHRIST JESUS the Soveraigne of men and Angells and Captaine of our Salvation if wee readily heartily follow him Trust in him vvill bring us and it is only Hee that can bring us through fire vvater into a vvealthy Place Hee is our MOSES to lead us for wee cannot go without him from Bamoth to Pisgah through many Tribulations through all the difficulties of our lives and callings into the Kingdom of Heaven Port of our Salvation And this is the end of Gods visitations The Fire of Adversity is designed to refine us to purge away our drosse to fit us for those pure mansions whereinto no uncleane thing can enter Who will not then cry out with David Ps 119. v. 71. in his sufferings it is good for mee that I have been afflicted It is as necessary a Duty to Praise God after Affliction as to pray unto him in it though wee may not pray for it tribulations in themselves being evill the effect of Disobedience Had not man grown Rebellious God had not visited but because of the vvickednesse of his doing Gods sends upon him Cursing vexation Rebuke Deut. 28. 20. But Christ the Rock of our Salvation blessed be his name has turned the edge of this sword So that non est malum jam Pati sed malum facere It is not evill now to suffer but to do Evill The Crosse of Christ like the tree of God shewed Moses Exod. 15. 25. hath altered the nature of our troubled waters they are no longer bitter unsavoury but pleasant Wholesome Espetially in these
so beaten a Road as the Topiek of adversity nor yet by your favour conclude my discourse There is nothing which can bee more plaine obvious to a Christian than the Benefitt of Affliction a truth Conspicuous out of the writings of the very Heathens I commend unto your Review at this Instant Plutarchs excellent treatise to that purpose I shall therefore have regard to the Times as well as my text consider some of those very afflictions hanging over our heads which must exercise these our Resignations which will prove christianly submitted unto thus beneficiall to us That it is our Duty faithfully chearefully to submitt unto Gods vvill in all times of Adversity with Faith Feare and that all truly Christian submissions will in the end bee highly Advantagious hath been the subject of my two last discourses in this Pulpit IF the Dayes of Adversity Affliction Brethren be such a hopefull seeds-time wee in our present Circumstances are like if wee sovv in pious Teares to have a plentifull crop Many a Heavy Judgement are allready fallen upon us for our past fins against God and in a more particular manner wee have too just reason to suspect for our secure carnall Confidence our Trusting in the Arme of Flesh as well as our unpardonable Disobedience to vile contempt of Gods Vice-Gerent the King. And many greater for our stupid impenitency will fall wee have also too Just cause to feare God hath moved the Land Divided it and if his Allmighty most Mercifull hand doth not prevent it must shake nay totter into Ruine Destruction The SWORD is drawn in the Midst of the Nation God grant it may not bee too soon sheathed in one anothers bowells nor VVhet by the present Cessation Insomuch that what party soever gaine the victory both must certainly some way or other in the Conclusion bee Considerable Loosers It is a sad thing that subjects to the same Prince should in Words many times profess pretend the same thing and yet all the while fight against one another to Destruction One Party among other matters declares for the Protestant Religion in generall another for the Church of England as by Lavv Establisht This cannot bee other with honest meaning than the very same cause for the Church of England is undoubtedly a Protestant Church and the best Protestant Religion notwithstanding all aspersions is professed in that Church yet in all probability here is in the Nation a Quarrel begun God forgive the Authours which is not like to bee determined without the Shedding of much Christian Bloud Or else againe One Party declares for the King also as the Lords at York as well as the Protestant Religion together with the Liberties and Properties of the Subject Another for the King Antient Lavves Governement in the Church State. This likewise without mentall reservation is no other than the former yet both Parties you see enter into a dismall bloudy War to decide the Controversy T is certaine that our antient Lavves Government so much depending on Monarchy cannot be preserved by the Destruction of the Prince and true Liberty Property can never be secured by the Destruct on of the Antient Governement no more can the right Protestant Religion Come BRETHREN let us all be well-advised before wee imbrue our hands deeply in one anothers Bloud such like Pretences Beginnings had once no better consequence Behold I say two Parties of the Kings subjects making the same Protestation and yet all the while fight with one another so that one of them cannot bee sincere If two Persons declare for the King yet fall to Blows one of them pretend what hee will must certainly be a Rebell in fighting against the King. I would in Charity thinke that you all conclude Rebellion a most odious thing and that few will I am sure no good man would dip themselves in so hainous a crime knowingly and willfully The danger is that many worthy Honest Gentlemen as heretofore and now in our Present Iuncture may be insnared before they are aware into this foule Offence so farre that they cannot tell how to gett back againe or if they do themselves cannot hinder ill men from proceeding on effecting their ends by vertue of the Reputation which they have given to an ill cause I will therefore cease to contend in this place who is the best subject or veriest Rebell Whether I that declare my selfe for the King the Protestant Religion or hee that declares himselfe for the Protestant Religion the King is the most Loyal the best Protestant I have here openly frequently enough discoverd my Principles concerning Subjection I am Brethren of the same minde I ever was so resolved by Gods Grace to live dye Instead of such disputes I 'le endeavour to paint sett before your Eyes this abominable sin that neither party wil owne And without telling you any more who are Rebbells I 'le plainly shew you what is Rebellion and what it is to be Rebellious In prosecution whereof I 'le keep precisely as well as I am able to the very Termes Wordes of the Church of England in her Printed Sermons or Homilies Published by Royall authourity Rebellion then you must know is there esteemd by the Church of England whereever it is found either among Papists or Protestants either on the 5 of Nov. or on the 30. of Jan. the worst as it was the first of sins In the first of her Homilies against Rebellion it is stiled the Root of all vices the Mother of all Mischeifs and in the second part the vvorst of all vices the Greatest of all Mischeifs at the Breaking in vvhereof all sins Miseries did flovv in over-vvhelme the vvorld The Authour of that accursed sin of Disobedience vvhich brings in all other at its heeles being no other than LUCIFER himselfe vvho of the Brightest most Glorious Angell for this very sin of Disobedience Rebellion against his King became the Blackest foulest Fiend and from the Height of Heaven fell into the Bottome of Hell. As our Church expresseth it in the afore said Homily Rebellion in another place speedily after is stiled the Foulest of all sins being as it vvere the Source Originall of all other and inseparable from the Highest Pride Contempt of God. Hee that nameth Rebellion saith our Church nameth not a single or one onely sin as is Theft Murder Robbery such like but to speake in the old language of the Homily the vvhole Puddle Sinke of all sins against God man against his Prince his Country his Countrymen his Parents his Children his Kinsfolkes his Freinds against all men universally All sins saith the very same Homily nameth hee that nameth Rebellion every Comandement being violated thereby pag. 360. Yea that all the seaven deadly sins are contained in Rebellion you will finde asserted
and truest Protestant Princes on the Face of the vvhole Earth They then dreaded TYRANNY ARBITRARY POWER as they pretended tho they lived under a Meek Gratious Prince vvhose Clemency proved his Ruine They Loudly Exclaimed against EVILL COUNCELLOURS but vvere not satisfied till they vvere flesh'd vvith the Bloud of LAUD and STRAFFORD and had over-throwne under that populour colour disguise the most Considerable Pillars of Church and State. They complained of Greivances with no lesse noise in those dayes than Male-Contents in these and also Unmannerly press'd for Condescentions but when they had Extorted them from that Good Prince who was tender of his People even to Excesse they were not contented till hee had condescended his Royall Head to the Block and that by one fatall Blow three Kingdoms were involved in Bloud Confusion Gods-solemne VVorship Service turned quite of doores the Fathers and dignified Clergy of the Church aswell as the right-Loyall Nobility Gentry of the Land Vilely trampelled on by the Meanest of the Vulgar and at last the Crovvne Church-Revenue the Purchase cheifly armed at seiz'd on imployed to maintaine support FANATICISME USURPATION Why Rebellion Sedition or any rude Treatment of Majesty should novv portend better in 88 than it did 48 yeares ago I cannot discover And that Rebells Traytors sted into the Lovv-Countryes should bee purified by the Air Conversation of Holland I can as little Conceive No more can I conceit how the inticing and ensnaring away of the Kings subjects as at present to fight against their Liege Lord Soveraigne nay to deliver him up into the hands of his Enimies should be a specimen infallible Mark of kindnesse to the Church of-England-Protestant-Religion Which will not permit upon any pretences vvhatsoever to take up Arms against a Lavvful King nor assist aid or abet those vvho doe no not somuch as to vvish ill to the Lords Anointed in the very Bottome of our Hearts For the Love of God Brethren let us leave those fond immaginations discourses and practices vvhich have set the vvhole Land into a Combustion let us bee ashamed of those Vnreasonable Delusions Methods of Delivery vvhich bring those very Feares or vvorse Evills on us vvhich vvee endeavour to Avoid Such Infatuation is a sad Prognostication Quos perdere vult Iupiter hos dementat Wee have in this Iuncture I confesse just ground of Feare Ieasousy I vvho have hitherto Opposed Feares Iealousies do novv advise the preaching on those Topieks to vvitt That they vvho dare unjustly to invade us intend if they can pretend vvhat they please to Conquer us and in plaine termes in the conclusion to enslave us I dare not in such a Time of difficulty but declare clearely my Mind Conscience If the Trumpet novv should give an uncertaine Sound it might bee of lamentable consequence I never did yet I thanke God nor ever vvill play my Game so as if I intended only to save my Stake It is your infelicity Dear Beloved Brethren at this instant to have no Person in Circumstances Superiour to mee in the Country to give you right measures VVhich vvhen I have honestly and faithfully done as I have endeavoured this day if you vvill not take them the Guilt must lye at your ovvn doors I never yet vvas nor ever shall be I trust ashamed in the Pulpit to ovvn my duty to my Soveraigne And if I should be silent novv vvhen there is more need than ever for Preachers faithfully to Open their Mouthes to prevent the Seducing of VVell-Meaning People I should conclude myselfe accessary to the Rebellion The God of Heaven by his Holy Spirit the most Infallible Guide direct us all into the faithfull discharge of our respective duties to our Sovereign from which vve can never deviate I am sure vvithout deviating from the Church of England To God the Father c. FINIS THE CHEIFEST MATTERS CONTAINED IN SUNDRY DISCOURSES MADE TO THE CLERGY OF THE ARCHDEACONRY of DURHAM SINCE HIS MAJESTIES COMING TO THE CROVVN Summed up and seasonably brought againe to their vievv in a Loyall Farevvell-Visitation-Speech on the 15. of November last 88. being ten dayes after the Landing of the Prince of Orange By DENIS GRANVILLE D. D. Deane Archdeacon of Durham novv in Exile Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majesty Printed at Roüen by WILLIAM MACHUEL ruë S. Lo neare the Palace for JOHN BAPTISTE BESONGNE ruë Escuyer at the Royall sun and are to be sold by AUGUSTIN BESONGNE in the Great Hall of the Palace at Paris In the yeare of our Lord God M. DC LXXXIX TO THE READER THE same necessity vvhich drove mee from my Home at the very time vvhich my Soveraigne vvas forced to vvithdravv from his ovvne Palace compells mee to send these as vvell as my other Papers to the Press to shevv the manner hovv I parted vvith my Freinds Flocks in the Bishoprick of Durham and that the last Discharge of my Archidiaconall Office in a Tyme of trouble vvas suitable to my past life Acttings during more than tvventy yeares in a time of Peace Hovv imperfect insufficient soever both have been I never vvanted through Gods Grace Resolution all a long to Oppose the Subjects in croaching on the Prerogative of their King as heartily as I have vvith-stood the Dutch their Invading of the Land. It vvill be no great ground of Admiration then to all vvho throughly knovv mee that at such a Iuncture I did dare speake plaine English to fortify my Brethren against Temptations and encourage them as I have done in their Duty to God the King. And I Blesse Gods most holy name that hee hath been pleased to bestovv on mee for the supply of my manifold Defects allvvayes Christian Confidence in the Pulpit vvho have not injoyed much of it any vvhere else By vvhat God gave mee boldness at that time to speak in the ears of a large Publick Auditory of Clergy Layity not rashly but vvith the most mature consideration that I utter'd any thing in my vvhole life they might perceive I did not intend to stay at Durham if my Soveraigne should bee Banish'd from his Kingdom As by committing the same discourse to the Press after more serious thoughts greater deliberation all men vvill bee easily Convinced that till my Soveraigne be restored vvhich I do heartily pray for I have no thoughts to returne Tho I found it very easy intelligible hovv to behave my selfe under a Roman Catholick Prince in the discharge of all Duties incumbent on mee as a Right Church-of-England-Subject or Christian yet must acknovvledge that I am void of Logick other Learning to supply mee vvith distinctions and furniture necessary to live under an Vsurper And therefore if the Reader discover the vvhole course of my life as vvell as my vvritings destitute of Craft to transforme my selfe into any shape and change vvith the Government let him not be astonish'd or
accuse mee over rigidly for not doing that for vvhich I am not so vvell as others quallified either by nature or education It hath been my fate to have suck'd in other Principles to have been trained up under better Tutours nay possibly in my vvhole Make to be so contrived and composed that it is not in the Povver of man to nevv-mould mee into that sort of Animal vvhich can blovv Hot Cold vvith the same Breath and is able to save his stake vvhat ever Card turnes up trump To these vvho shall condemne it in mee as a deplorable piece of Madness or folly to talk or vvrite avvay such a Considerable Revenue as Providence my Kind Patrons have bestovved on mee vvhich I am like to do by setting my name to vvhat I print I must declare that I am one of those Fooles S. Paul speakes of vvho that I may bee vvise am vvilling in the sight of the vvorld to become a Foole valuing my Innocency Quiet of Conscience more than I do the best Deanery or Bishoprick in Christendom And as nothing yet hath tempted mee I thank God to Compliment avvay my Religion tho I have been by some so reproached upon Gods raising setting over us a Prince of a different Communion So no Consideration vvhatsoever I rely on Gods Grace shall be able to prevaile vvith mee to prostitute it by falling dovvne to adore the multitude or any Image tho it be of Gold that shall be set up by the People Those therefore that attack mee by arguments or Threats in letters to seduce mee back and dravv mee into a Compliance vvith the nevv Government that I might set my hand to she raising up the Babell vvhich they are building in England may save their labour ink For till they have confuted the Doctrine vvhich they have preached as vvell as the sound Divinity of their Mother vvhich they have forsaken they may cease from offerring mee other arguments to convince mee And till they persvvade mee to set a higher value upon my money than I do on the Grace of God prize my temporall intrest more than mine Integrity vvhich no magick I have yet met vvith all hath been able to effect so as to fill my pockets they may also forbeare to affright mee vvith Deprivation I have long considered studied the point of Allegiance vvhich I ovve to my only Leige Lord Soveraigne King Iames 2 and to no other and am firmely vvithout doubt or scrupule satisfied that my Religion vvill not permitt mee to svveare fidelity to any besides him That the greatest part of my Brethren notvvithstanding the faithfull frequent endeavours I have used to establish them in Conformity Loyalty should forsake Gods Vice-Gerent to do Homage to the Peoples is an unexpressible greife to my soule To prevent the Incurring such guilt and the lamentable scandall of such Apostacy I did in due time as may appeare from the date of the ensuing Address expose my selfe to much censure by delivering my mind to an Auditory vvhich seem'd ready to run themselves as they have done into that Yoke servitude vvhich I vvho had greater temptations than others vvas resolved to run out of the Kingdom from my preferment rather than submit to And to demonstrate that I am after great thought fullness much prayer to God to direct mee of the very same mind here in France on Nov. 15. 1689 that I vvas in England on the same day of the month 1688 as vvell as desirous to expresse my vvillingness to do all that in mee lyes to avvaken those out of their sin vvhich I could not confirme in their Duty I am as vvilling to commit to the Presse the discourse I then made Tho I vvell knovv that I shall in so doing in case these Papers get into England and considering mens present Genius Actings there be exposed to the danger of running as it vvere the Gantlet through the Nation D. G. Trom my study in Roüen Nov. 15. 1689. ADVERTISEMENT IF this or the former Piece have the good fortune to find the way back to Durham and fall into the hands of those Persons that were present when they were spoken for whose sake they were first deliver'd and since Printed they may chance to take notice in the perusall if their memories do not faile them that the Authour is more sparing than heretofore or ever used to be in his Commendation of the Constitútion of the Church of England and more particularly in the Praise of its well compiled Liturgy which he was wont upon all occasions very highly to extoll In which case they are desired to understand and consider that these Papers have been Printed in a R. Catholick Country where they could not be permitted to pass the press without the perusal approbation of R. Catholicks and that it was a great mark of favour and an espetiall token of their present forwardness to concurre with and encourage Loyalty to suffer Sermons and A speech spoken by a Divine of the Church of England to be printed here at all notwithstanding the castigations which have been made by the retrenchment of sundry expressions omitting all Comparisons which did carry with them any Reflections And therefore the aforesaid people have no just cause given them to conceit that the Authour hath in any respect Changed his sentiments of the Religion of the Church of England which he hath ever professed where in he desires and resolues by gods Grace to live and Dye If the aboue mentioned Auditors who discouer too apparently that there is among them at home what ever is in the Authour abroad a lamentable Change or any other sort of Readers of our own or of any Forreigne Nation fancy him guilty of too much sharpness of expression they are intreated to remember or to be informed that what ever he hath utterr'd in a tyme of great Heat Hurry hath been spoken against such as did invade his own Native County with unexpressible injustice unnaturallness as well as many heightning aggravations for want gratitude and that it was a speciall Duty in every one of his Character his station at that time to expose as much as they were able an invasion which was beyond all precedent without paralell In so much that if a satyricall Invective of which the Authour was never a great louer be at any time allowable in the writings of a Divine it cannot be denied surely but that it may passe here in this Instance espetially Considering that he did very seasonably shew such his indignation even before the Forces that Landed had rowled to so great a number but that they might have been Opposed nay suppressed by any one County of England which would have shewed it selfe right valiant faithful and unanimous And if some 〈…〉 with 〈…〉 during the Reign of in raiâ—ing subjects 〈…〉 in the 〈…〉 of Doctor â— to dethrone their lawfull Soveraigne had done
vvhich could not refrain from the highest of Affronts stabbing in Effigie Judging him unvvorthy of the respect due to a Kings Brother tho a Turk or Pagan not remembring him for a vvhile somuch as in their Prayers or Cups Which spleen Contempt of his sacred person increased to so high a Pitch I then observed that many of all degrees Quallities setting themselves against him vvould bee satisfied vvith nothing lesse than à barbarous Exclusion of him from the Imperiall Crovvne vvhereto Allmighty God in spite of Men Divells has brought him vvith great Honour to our Comfort God in vvhose Governance are the Hearts of Kings putting it into his Royall mind to dispell the Fears Jealousies of his people by the first Act hee did in Councell before hee had vviped the Tears from his Eyes for his beloved Brother And aftervvards making him a Blessed Instrument of suppressing that first Dutch Rebellion vvhich I dare so to stile since it vvas formed in Holland the Comon Receptacle of Christendom for Rebells Traytors and so successefull a Forge for Treasonable practices that tvvo proscribed Ministers fitter to be Smiths than Divines have there hammer'd out a second more Divellish Conspiracy Such Goodness of God to our Royall Family not leaving it destitute of a Prince of the right line but settling upon the Throne so accomplish'd an one in all respects that if hee had been of our Ovvn Religion vvee should have thought our selves loaded vvith more Happiness than vvee had been able to beare This Mercy Isay in raising a Gratious Princs tho of a different Faith to be the Defender of ours in crushing a Rebellion like a Cockatrice in the shell which aimed more at the destruction of the Church than the Crowne is so unparallell'd a Blessing as deservs Everlasting Praise and an eternall obligation to conforme our lives to the Will Commands of our Earthly as vvell as our Heavenly King. Which vvee cannot do give mee leave on such occasions allvvaies to be your monitor till nee do approve our selves truly Genuine obedient sons of the Church as vvell as Dutifull Complying subjects I knovv no difference in those tvvo Epithets of Obedient Complying tho the last hath been turn'd into a reproach in all things vvhich are not Contrary to the Clear Word of God. But I vvill for a vvhile stop such inlargements as vvell as set a Period to my promised repetition of the most important Heads of the first of my four Visitation-Discourses propounded to be brought to your Vievv Which I have inlarged by unavoidable digressions Occasion'd by the present vvicked and treacherous Invasion I shall sooner passe through the Heads of the second remaining ones without such additionary Reflections and bring all I trust with in the compasse of lesse time than what is allowed for both Sermon and speech at a Visitation SPEECH II. THe cheife points of my second discourse which I shall lay before you are as followeth First our present Kings further Expression of his Gratious Good nesse and Condescension in the seasonable happy Renevvall of those vvholesome Ecexllent Directions to Preachers vvhich vvere publish'd by his martyr'd Father and set forth a second time by his Royall Brother K. Charles the 2. in the yeare 1662. Injoining such a Regulation of the Pulpit out of which have issued our former and our present Flames ready to devour us such Exact conformity to our Rubrick such frequent Publication in all parochiall Churchs of the Doctine and discipline of our Church such respect to the Lords day and cheifly such a Training up of the Youth Catechising them in the Book of Common Prayer as was the most likely meanes valuable infinitely beyond all our Disputes Harangues from Either Pulpit or Presse to preserve the Church of England And which wee Clergy had greedily embraced God forgive us that fatall Error of Neglecting them had wee not laboured under some kind of Infatuation Secondly that bitter Invectives a gainst the Pope of Rome vvhilst vvee live under a Prince of the Roman Communion omitting the more sure vvayes to preserve our Religion allovved by this and the last Good King as vvell as biting declamations against the non-Conformists in the late Kings Reign by those vvho vvere themselves but semi-Conformists vvere an Effect of very blameable dangerous Zeale and had mightily increased our schisme and vveakened our Church It being not Satyricall Harangues in the dayes of K. Ch. the 2. as I then told you still thinke seasonable to repeat against the Fanatiks which did without a Compleat Conformity to our Rules signalize a Right Church-of-England-Divine No more than furious Railing or hot Disputing against the Pope or Church of Rome in the present Reign of K. James 2. Can give an undeniable Demonstration that wee are Good Subjects or firme Protestants Neither of which can evidence us God knowes to be the legitimate Jssue of that Church vvhich vvas never guilty of Boisterous and unmannerly Zeale but allvvayes profest and taught not only a deep veneration for Majesty but Christ like Meeknesse and Moderation Exhorting her Children to Honour the King as vvel as Feare God and to be just to all even to the vvorst most implacable of her Enimies or Impugners Thirdly I shevv'd the indispensable Duty of every one of us to betake our selves to a more indubitable Course than the former of maintaining our Religion by those lavvfull meanes and much more effectuall than the other vvbich vvere allovved by the King as vvell as our Church to save our soules that is by living according to our Doctrine rather than by Talking for it most particularly by studying and practising our Common Prayer Book not Spending our Povvder Ball in needlesse and impertinent pickarings but laying up a store of Ammunition furnishing our selves by the foresaid prescribed Courses vvith Courage Magnanimity against a Day of Battell The fourth last Point recommended to your Considetation then at that Juncture of Affaires and is still vvorthy to be thought of vvas vvhether that Subtile Malicious spirit vvho often transforms himselfe into an Angell of Light effecting his vvorst Designs under the disguise of Holiness dot not vse pretended Zeale against as vvell as Fears Iealousies of Popery as the most likely and successe full strategem to bring it in I vvas then and am still of that Opinion And for Gods sake do not despise this honest Caution SPEECH III. THUS having dispatch'd the things most vvorthy of notice contained in my second discourse as vvell as the first I shall attempt to bring to your vievv the most significant Heads of the third And here Waving sundry Arguments then laid before you to submit to your Soveraigns Will and Pleasure even in the most uninntelligible of all his Acts of Mercy J meane that Including the Fanaticks in his Declaration for Liberty of Conscience Excess of Favour liberty granted to his ovvn as vvell as our Churches
wee add our Lords Refusall to accept of the Judiciall Cognizance of an Offence when hee was put upon it as hee did of A Crowne when it was offer'd him by the People there will appeare strong matter of Conviction proof of the Inviolablenesse of the Rights of Government which it is not lawfull for any person on earth to usurp or meddle with without a Just Call. So far was our Humble Righteous Lord the Capt of our Salvation from retrenching any of the Magistrates former Rights that hee added to MOSES in this matter enjoyning greater Awe Reverence to be given to the Civill Power Wherein wee may take further notice that Christ Jesus hee was so extraordinarily Carefull Tender That where as MOSES among the Egiptians when hee was but a Private man did take upon him to exercise an Act of Judicature on the Egyptian which wronged the Israelite Exod. 2. 12. Christ would not do any such thing leaving the woman taken in adultery and all other offenders to the ordinary legall Course and would not upon any Invitation or Importunity Vsurp Authority or take upon him any thing in that matter This without other Inlargement may Abundantly Evince how unsuitable to the Doctrine and Practice of Christ and Consequently how unchristian and ungodly are the Doctrines of those Ambitious Men who make Christianity a Ground or Excuse for moving Sedition Raising Rebellion thereby disquieting States shaking if not dissolving Kingdomes Tho it bee carried on never somuch under the speâ—ious colours of Preservation of Religion Libertyes or Lawes Whereof wee have now a late perhaps more Notable Instance than ever was in the World An Attempt so Abhorred Unnaturall A I act every wayes so unjustifiable an Impiety so Daring that it must necessarily in the Conclusion pull down Heavy wrath if not Speedy Vengeance both on the Contriver the Accessary Inviter the Invited or on their Posterity If an extaordinary deep Humiliation before God a sincere Repentance some what answerable to the Greatness of the Provocation do not in due season appease his Indignation Of which Heinous Guilt it concerns every one who hath been unfortunately dipt therein as every Complier with as well as Promoter of the new Government in England certainly is with greatest speed care to purge himselfe And I do hope Pray that all those to whom I do presume here in this paper to Address my selfe will take these things into timely deep Consideration washing off those Staines of Disloyalty that may have involved any in the Guilt of an Unparalled Usurpation wihch I am afraid exposes poor England to God Almightyes Impending Judgements more than all the former sins of out selves or Fore-Fathers That I have for my own particular practised the very same Loyalty honest zeale in reference to the Service of my Soveraigne tho A Roman Catholick that I did to his Royall Brother And have not that I can discover upon the most diligent search willfully knowingly made one False Step towards the late Irregular Injustifiable Method of Preservation of our Religion Lawes by the Ungodly Practises meanes of INVASION USURPATION which hath in good truth layen both a Gasping is a Felicity which doth not only wonderfully support but sometimes almost transport mee amidst my present Exercises of Patience And will make mee rellish the worst Air or Usage that I can meet with abroad where there are no Fogs nor Fumes raised by Rebellion better than the best Air or Proferment in England or any other Country where there Are. And here I should beg pardon for this present Trouble Conclude having been I feare too tedious but that I stand obliged least I preach in vaine to answer one Objection which it is easy to fore-see will be made against my Doctrine and may carry more Appearance of Reason therewith than any Other To wit. Christs Example pretended for submission to the Prevailing Povver since his acknovvledging Allegiance to bee due to Tiberius Caesar vvhose Predecessors had so lately changed the Government of Rome by the Senate did by that Act of his give liberty to vs lavvfully to yeild our Allegiance to any vnjust prevailing Povver vvhat ever it bee This difficulty being solved by the Forementioned learncd Doctor of our owne Church Nation of undeniable Authority an Eminent Confessour in the Great Rebellion I 'le give the Answer in his owne very words without the least variation Which is so substantiall an one that it is seasonable at this instant to be exposed to view And if there were no other Designe in my writing would justify the Publication of this letter In short his words are these The state of the Government of Rome at that time when Christ Jesus lived must bee considered distinctly what it was It is true indeed that Julius Caesar had not many yeares before wrested the Power out of the Senates hands and Changed the Government violently but before this time of Tiberius whereof wee speake the buisnesse was so accorded betwen the Senate the Emperours that the Emperour now Reigned unquestionably without any Competition of the Senate In him the Power was quietly seated the money superscribed with his Image and Edicts sent out in his name and hee looked on by all with out any Rivall as inferiour to God only In which case of his acknowledged Power Christ being borne in his Dominious thinkes not fit to make a Question of his Right where there was none made by the Romans or to dispute Caesars Title However acquired by violence at first when they from whom it was taken did acquiesce disputed it not Which Case how different it is from other forcible Usurpations where the legall Soveraigne doth still Claime his Right to his Kingdomes and to the Allegiance of his Subjects no way acquitting them from their Oathes or laying down his Pretension tho hee be for the present Ouerpowred is easily discernible to any who have the Courage Fidelity to consider it is not by his own Intrests bribed or frighted from the performance of his Christian Duty It being withall most certaine that it belongs not to the conveniences or advantages of subjects to determine or prevaile any thing in the Buisnesse of Princes Rights This one of the most formidable Objections Arguments for submission to an unlawfull prevailing Power being thus effectually answered I shall not thinke it paine-worthy in a letter to multiply other of lesse difficulty which by consequence may more easily be blowne away And indeed I suppose it needlesse at this Time of Day to fall to strong reasonings to evince the unsincerity of the Pretensions of the Contrivers Promoters of this late unhappy Change of Government in Church State they themselves having destroyed all the Plausibility of their own Professions Declarations First The Prince of Orange disowned that hee came to Conquer or meddle with the Crowne and yet most willingly
Respect which I did once owe You whereby I am capacitated to take greater freedome with your Lordship than 't was lawfull for me to doe in former letters as well as debarr'd of of begging your Benediction with the same delight I have done formely I rest MY LORD Roüen July the 1. 1689. Your Lordships c DENIS GRANVILLE FINIS To the Vice-Dean Prebendaries of the Cathedrall Church of Durham MR Vice-Dean other Prebendaries of Durham Tho the bodily Infirmities I now feele as well as the greater ones I have struggled with since I left Durham intimated in a letter from Edingburgh have been and are sufficient to excuse my Absence and may justify me in the eyes of God Man for leaving for some time so cold and moist an air as the North of England and repairing into a Clime more warme and benigne Yet I who have been all my dayes a Lover of Plain-dealing think not fit to conceal any longer the more substantial reasons which did at first hurry me away from You and do still detain me abroad Till I was well got out of the reach of those New Governours whom I could neither owne nor obey and from whom for that very cause had hopes of small favour I was as well as my Betters necessitated to use the most plausible Arguments I could with Innocence for a Voyage into France without declaring the bottome of my designe And Providence at that time furnishing me with one very Authentick and reasonable enough to witt upon the returne of a dangerous Cough to go once more into a Country from which I had receiv'd formerly considerable advantage in point of Health I should have been much to blame if I had not made use thereof as I did in order to my Escape On this account in my letter to You discourse with those I mett in my journey I insisted on little else than what related to my then growing Indisposition which was come to a great height neither did I God be thank'd meet or converse with any so unreasonable or inquisitive as to demand stronger motives than the recovery and preservation of my health the next valuable Blessing to the Salvation of my Soule to authorise my designe of hastning into this Kingdome famous for it's Soveraigne Beneficial air for all Consumptive Constitutions the virtue whereof tho I am not got into the most salutiferous Region I now already in a very great measure perceive But tho all I alledge be very true and real yet I dare not deny that other and greater matters set forth in a precedent letter did first put it into my thoughts and incline me to quitt my Station and without which had the danger of my life been never so great I must confess that I think I had never more thus left my Charges after so considerable an Absence heretofore to recover my health from my Offices Cures In plain English then I declare to all the World that the true Cause of my suddain flight was that I carried about me a Conscience more untractable and less pliable to an Usurpation than most I left behindâ— as process of time hath made too apparent My Conscience such as it was did oblige me to the utmost of my Strength to oppose all usurp'd power as I did to the last wittness all the Congregation present in the Quire the Sunday before my departure and then I need not tell You it was not fitt for me to stay there any longer I might use the word impossible rather than unfitt since I could not with good Conscience stay Id tantum possumus sayes the Civillian quod jure possumus I cannot deny that every one of You and all those Clergy in the Nation which were satisfied and resolv'd to Submitt that is to say renounce your Allegiance to your Lawfull Soveraigne and swear new to those who have ungodlily and unjustly depos'd him have done politickly enough to remaine at home sit still hold your Tongues at a time when the Right Church-of-England-Religion according to the best notion I have of it nay Christianity in generall required all faithfull Preachers to lift up their voices like a Trumpet to oppose the madness of the People stop them in their Carreer to Destruction But I your unworthy Dean who without doubt or scruple beleived it at that time as I do at present a peice of detestable Rebellion to joyne with any in a Conspiracy against our Kings Crown as well as Life and desire to be torne with wild Horses rather than so to do did as politickly and I am sure more honestly in withdrawing But I desire You to remember that I did not stir from my Poste till the Citty of Durham was polluted by the Reading of a Declaration which by a late Proclamation of the King 's was pronounced treasonable that there werè not four publick Magistrates nor one Minister in the Town had the Courage any wayes to oppose it or declare their dissent thereto a vâ—ry feeble support for a Dean resolv'd as I then declar'd I was now declare a new that I am to stick close by God's grace to the Crown of my only lawfull Soveraigne King Iames the 2. his Heires Successours knowing no difference betwixt the Duty Obedience I owe to a Prince of the Protestant to a Prince of the Roman Faith. Nay I desire you moreover to consider that I did not runn avvay forsake my flocks as some may be apt to object when I saw the Wolfe coming but after I saw him come with open mouth ready to devoure had my selfe in some sort tasted his Fierceness I beseech You therefore so take notice that it was not till the 11. of December at night that I left Durham a day after his Sacred Majesty was driven from Whitehall By which time the Wicked Contrivers of this sad Revolution had accomplish'd what they had been long endeavouring stript the King of all his Supports put him under a necessity as well as his most faithfull Subjects to fly into an other Nation shewn their Good Will towards the Dissolution of the Government And farther and above all this tho I could not stay longer in Durham without being defiled by concurring or confined for opposing I did not leave England till the 20. of January nor fly out of the Kings Dominions till the Subject who was tender enough of his own Property had after innumerable Violations of the King's Prerogative presum'd to disspose of the very Crown For Ashwensday was over before I took shipping in Scotland A Dismal day a day which I shall mark in my Calendar with a note of deeper Humiliation than before A day which by all truely devoted Soules to the Honour Interest of the Imperiall Crown of England will be remembred with more Regrett than Ashwensday 53. A day indeed once thought fitt for the Inauguration of an Usurper who thô in all other